POV: Could The Going Be Better? (Andrew Mount)

In our DAILY column POV – GG.co.uk tipster and former bookmaker Andrew Mount on how racing could improve a key part of the raceday experience….

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It was with some trepidation that I agreed to come out of bookmaking retirement and work for my old boss Martyn Of Leicester on Ladies Day at Nottingham on a recent Saturday, as dealing with the British public on a hot day when the booze is flowing freely is not my idea of a good time.

However, I needn’t have worried as the racegoers I encountered were fun, friendly and well-behaved despite the quantity of alcohol consumed (whoever came up with the idea of plastic bags full of ice that can comfortably fit a bottle of wine/Prosecco and two glasses and be carried easily on the wrist deserves a pay rise). The general assumption is that Ladies Day crowds are not there for the racing, but most backed a horse or two in every race, and it was a pleasure to pay out to several smiling faces who had their £2.50 each-way on Mini Mac at 33/1.

“10/10 would recommend” 🤩

Over four million memories are made every year at the races. #thegoingisGood

— Great British Racing (@GBRacing) May 20, 2025

I was encouraged by the number of first-time racegoers asking “which one should I back?” who seemed genuinely interested in knowing a little bit more about the great game. They soon realised that having £2.50 each-way on the 11-8 favourite wasn’t going to help greatly when it came to fronting up for the next bottle of Prosecco (certainly not at £40 a pop). One recurring theme was questions regarding the finishing position of the horse they’d backed in previous races. This information is not available anywhere on the racecourse. How hard would it be to have the full finishing order of each race displayed on a screen that is easily accessible, and maybe even show a replay? A few specialist race-makers wouldn’t have gone amiss either.

Rather than have a roving crooner belting out cover versions why not have someone who knows a bit about racing, advising on how to bet and even offering a brief preview of the next race, not over the PA but to small groups of racegoers who are queuing for their next drink and might be more engaged by a face-to face conversation at ground level. Let’s not forget that racing is built on betting and a few winners is a damn sight more rewarding than a hangover. Perhaps Great British Racing could spare a little of the £3.62m earmarked for their ‘The Going Is Good’ marketing campaign?

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